For her part, Gilbert, who also blogs here, questions Palin's decision to return to work just three days after giving birth to her son in April, especially since her baby has Down syndrome. Now that Palin's stepped into the white hot spotlight of national politics, her decisions as a mother are getting extra scrutiny. And no one is looking at her more closely than other moms.

"The scrutiny is nothing surprising," said Gilbert, the mother of three boys. "A woman's ability to mother seems to be the central issue for many mothers. Our parenting seems to be a way for people to judge us."

Think about it: Moms hear about their parenting from their own parents, their inlaws, their neighbors, friends and coworkers. Why should Palin be any different, especially since she's now a national political figure?

"Sarah Palin as a mother, more than any other candidate, put her mothering as part of her resume," Gilbert said. "She talks about being a hockey mom, she does have five kids and so many of her positions are strongly connected to her role as a mother." Palin's got strong opinions on lightning rod issues like abstinence-only education (she's for it) and abortion (she's against it).

Gilbert said since Palin's put her parenting front and center in her candidacy, it's fair game for voters to evaluate the choices she's made. Like going back to work so soon after her son's birth.

"Most of us who are making these judgments are making them because we have been through it," Gilbert said. "She had a choice of being governor to set the model for all other moms and to model going back to work after three days flies in the face of what we are struggling for, which is better maternity leave."